Ryan Griffin
Until now, singer-songwriter Ryan Griffin’s biggest claim to fame may have been that he co-wrote Kelsea Ballerini’s chart-topping hit “Dibs”…but that’s about to change with the 2017 release of his first EP, led by the single, “Back Seats & Burnt CDs.”
Raised in Florida by parents whose love of music exposed him to the voices of George Strait and Vince Gill, Ryan at an early age proclaimed, “I want to be a country music singer.” It was a desire and dream that he never veered from – encouragement from friends, success at talent contests, the joy he derived from it (“I love it…I feel like I’m good at it…people seem to enjoy it…maybe I can do this.”) and the opportunity to meet with a major label
executive brought him to Nashville as a high school freshman. The exec saw and heard something in the young man…and suggested he return in a few years. Ryan did.
College years at Belmont University gave him glimpses of how the music business works – and opened the door to songwriting. “It was not a singer’s town; it wasn’t a town that wanted to hear what I had to offer.” But as a writer, Ryan found another aspect of his voice. “I don’t know if you can figure out who you are as an artist until you put pen to paper,” he says. Ryan did.
So who is Ryan Griffin as an artist? The same young man he is as a person. He’s a young husband and father. He’s a singer who draws from such varied influences as George Strait and Brian McKnight. He’s a songwriter whose words mirror the truth, vulnerability and compassion he feels. “My whole life is about being transparent and being real,” Ryan admits. “Music needs to be honest, or I don’t want to represent it. All I’ve wanted to do was make music that’s true to who I am…authentic…that I can stand onstage and be proud to sing.” That’s who Ryan Griffin is. And that’s what makes Ryan and his music worth getting to know.
